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How do you know when it's time to wean?

I've nursed my son for 18 months now. But lately I've been thinking about weaning, and I'm just wondering how do you know when you are ready.

- He is been sick lately with a horrible cold and in the last couple of days he has refused to nurse, I had to return to pumping which I hated but there was no other way to relieve the engorgement, I stopped pumping when he was 1year old and just nursed him whenever we were together and not pumped while at work, but now that he is sick he won't nurse at all, I know is because he doesn't feel well, but it might be a signal that it is time, and it might be easier now that he just doesn't want to.
- I definitely need him to be weaned by the age of 2, I have to travel for work often, and now, I always take him with me which is OK as he doesn't pay airfare, but that changes when he turns two and I won't be able to afford to take him every trip, may be just once in a while, we'll have to be apart 2-3 nights a months. So if I have to start weaning him in 2 -3 months so he is completely off the breast by two, why not start now that he is on a strike.

So bottom line, how do you know when is time. I think I'll miss it, but at the same time I'm satisfied how far we've gone, can we go further?, probably, but will it be harder to wean him later?

Re: How do you know when it's time to wean?

I never really thought about this with my first, but weaning is actually a very gradual process that begins from the time you start solids, and can last a long time. My children all nursed for a lot longer than I ever planned, but I was able to night wean them sometime around 15 to 18 months or so, and weaning was so gradual that I never got engorged or anything. I've actually been away from a nursing toddler for several nights with no problem (and no pumping). I think my son was about 2 & 1/2 when we went away for about 4 nights and he went right back to nursing after we got back.
It also encouraged me to know that the World Health Organization recommended nursing for at least 2 years.
I recommend the book Mothering Your Nursing Toddler if you can get it.
Hope this helps some!
Tricia
Mom to Elizabeth, age 8, Katie, age 6 & Michael, age 4